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Are you a creature of habit in the kitchen and at the grocery store? Do you reach for the same carrots and celery for snacks, bagged greens for salads, and frozen veggies for dinnertime sides? It’s time to break out of your food rut. Learn a few basic cooking techniques, then head to the produce aisle and pick out something new. With very little time and effort, you can create crave-worthy veggie side dishes every night of the week.

Note: The smaller you cut your vegetables, the faster they will cook. Aim for bite-size pieces unless noted below. No matter how large or small your pieces are, be sure they are the same size to avoid uneven cooking.

For each cooking technique, you’ll need four cups prepared vegetables to yield four servings. If you’re cooking for fewer people, you can adjust the amounts or save extras for future meals.

Stir-fry

How to: Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to a skillet set over medium-high heat.When the pan is hot, add the chopped veggies.Cook, stirring often, until the veggies are tender yet crisp.For flavor add one of the following:

How to: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.Cut your vegetables into uniform pieces.Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet.Drizzle on 2 teaspoons oil, sprinkle with pinch of salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon dried herbs.Roast, stirring halfway through the cooking process:

Spritz the vegetables with cooking spray, dip in the egg whites, then the bread crumb mixture.Place vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet.Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the vegetables once, until the crust is golden brown.Serve with a dipping sauce such as salsa, hummus, pesto or tomato sauce.Good for: green beans (no need to slice), eggplant, squash, onions, mushrooms or asparagus

How to: Slice the vegetables.For the microwave: Place veggies in a microwave-safe dish with a tight-fitting lid. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook on high for 3-5 minutes.For stove top steaming: Place veggies in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid, using a steamer basket if you have one. Add 1/4 cup water and cover. Cook on medium-high for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp and bright yet slightly tender.To add flavor, add 1 bay leaf or 2 lemon slices to the cooking water.Good for: green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snow pea pods, zucchini and summer squash

Grill

How to: Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium.Slice vegetables into 1/2 inch thick slices or strips.Brush with reduced-fat Italian salad dressing or balsamic vinegar.Grill for 5 minutes until the vegetables are crisp yet tender.Good for: asparagus, eggplant, spring onions, bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, mushroomsNote: Use a grill basket or skewers for small vegetables on an outdoor grill to prevent them from falling through the grates.

How to: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Place your chopped veggies on a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment.Add flavor by:

Sprinkling with 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil, oregano or parsley

Layering 4 lemon slices on top veggies or

Adding 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Fold and seal the foil or parchment around the veggies to form a packet. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender yet crisp.Good for: sugar snap peas, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery and mushrooms

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut eggplant into ½-inch dice, toss with salt in a large mixing bowl, and transfer to a colander. Place bowl underneath to drain, and nest a smaller bowl inside the colander pressing down on the eggplant cubes. Put something heavy inside the bowl to weight it (like a container of salt or can of tomatoes.) Let eggplant drain for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until tender but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes, then uncover pan and simmer 5 minutes more. Stir in herbs, season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat; discard bay leaf.

Remove eggplant cubes from colander and spread between two double layers of paper towels, pressing down to dry them. Transfer to a bowl and toss with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Spread in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet; roast for 10 minutes, then increase oven temperature to 475 degrees, gently stir, and continue baking until eggplant cubes are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes more.

Stir roasted eggplant to the pot containing the tomato sauce and gently reheat while pasta cooks. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain well and toss with eggplant sauce. Top with grated cheese and serve immediately.

Pasta is often made out to be a dietary villain by those trying to avoid carbs and gluten, but it can actually be pretty healthy, says Rania Batayneh, a certified nutritionist and author of the upcoming book, The 1:1:1 Diet. Pasta is not only high in folic acid but also naturally low in fat (unlike unhealthy reduced-fat packaged foods). And pasta’s glycemic index, or GI, (a way of measuring short-term changes in blood sugar after a meal) is only 41. That number is similar to pears, lower than many types of bread and much lower than glucose, which ranks 100, Batayneh says.

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 425 degrees F. Brush both sides of the eggplant with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until browned and almost tender, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Spread 1 tablespoon of pasta sauce on each eggplant slice. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Using a spoon, remove the stems and gills from the mushrooms, which are the dark ridges on the underside of the mushroom. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a skillet set over a medium flame. Add the shallot, red pepper, zucchini and saute for 1 minute. Add the cleaned and trimmed spinach and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Spray the bottom of each mushroom with nonstick cooking spray and place on a baking sheet pan. Place in the oven for 1-2 minutes just to heat the mushrooms. Rub each mushroom with the smashed garlic. Sprinkle with the flax seed meal. Divide the vegetable mixture between the two mushrooms, then top with tomato and cheese. Bake for 6 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Drizzle vinegar over cooked mushrooms before serving.